Who else watched this? It's fantastic! It'll probably get cancelled after the first season, because eccentric shows like this always do. I would already be predicting a Wonderfalls-like demise if it weren't on ABC, where it looks like they're giving it a good fighting chance. But the show itself is very much in the spirit of Wonderfalls in its quirkiness, charm and originality. I'm hooked. Anybody else?_________________Chicago Film Critics Association
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I like it, but it's on the list of series where I won't be broken up if it only winds up with a short run. Fuller and Sonnenfeld created something in the pilot that I'm not sure other writers and directors will be able to replicate. I was happy to see Darin Morgan's name in credits as a "consulting producer" (he wrote the quirky episodes of The X-Files), but I seem to recall that his brother has left the production, so who knows how many scripts he'll contribute._________________Blogs: Jay's Movie Blog, Transplanted Life, The Trading Post

Really enjoyed it- fun, quirky, but managed to not be obnoxious in its quirkiness- no surprise really, I was a huge, dedicated fan to a prior project from one or two of these creators- Dead Like Me.

I saw a review or two in the daily papers that came down hard on the show for its innate weirdness and said its not a good choice for the nitty gritty tv most people are used to and just shook my head- Grey's Anatomy is nitty gritty all right- as in the consistency of toe jam. I watch the show, but to think that makes it impossible for this show to live anywhere? Preposterous.

Its got a nice fairy tale quality to it (helped by the Jim Dale voiceover, a guy I had never heard perform but knew of- he does the Harry Potter books on tape and won a Grammy for it- he also happens to be my wife's client at her law firm), and they've made the romantic leads very compelling indeed- its the perfect love story, only now the leads are free to express their emotions for each other from the get go rather than the years of Diane/Sam, Maddie/David discovery of each other- the catch is, now the titllation comes from their inability to physically express themselves- the moment that happens, its Cheers and Moonlighting all over again.

Still, the inventive ways they've promised to show the two trying to physically connect with each other sound delightfully kinky and sexy - I like this show a great deal- my one nit was how he managed to not pet the dog, even accidentally over all these years- dogs don't let you have much of a choice sometimes, and as a kid, wouldn't he immediately pet the dog after reviving it? A minor nit.

I hope we see more of the aunts- I love the aunts.

My other picks:

Chuck- a big surprise as the comedy exceeds some competent action and I'm lovin' the buddy system between the lead and his hopeless cohort (whose disasterous hogging of the mini-quiches last week led to a great sci-fi joke). Adam Baldwin gets my viewing on Firefly cred alone and is not disappointing (though I miss Jayne's buffoonery) unlike Nathan Fillon's talent currently curdling like week-old milk on Desperate Housewives.

Journeyman- I thought this show was going to suck the hairy root- a blatant rip off of Quantum Leap (including a late season "Dark Leaper" riff- only its ex-Girlfriend rather than evil time lord) and worse, a bit of inexcusable cribbing from the book The Time Traveller's Wife, which I would love to see an actual film adaptation of (seriously what's with all the time-travel story theft- first Oz, now this?)

But two episodes in and I'm surprised at how much I like the lead, his wife, their teetering marriage, the interesting progression of his multiple leaps into someone's life, his not always careful on-the-fly prep for his jumps, and the mystery of why he's doing it at all. There's also the connundrum of how he's going to deal with his now very alive old flame amid his marriage, and what that brother with a grudge is going to do next. For a show treading so heavily on some very familiar ideas, its got some spring in its step.

Shows I gave a shot but ended up looking at my laptop or reading instead:

Bionic Woman- Sorry, nope. Heresy, I know, but just cuz these guys did Battlestar doesn't automatically get my vote. Moreso after their "fuck-you trusting audience!" season 3 ender with the Cylon reveal. I'm not very interested by the new "IT" girl playing Lindsay Wagner but I suppose I'll have to wade through dozens of Maxim, Stuff and Season 3 Playboy covers just the same on my way to work. Wah, my life is fucked up. Wah, my tenous relationship with my little sister whom I must parent is in danger of collapsing completely, wah, my boyfriend died, wah I broke a dude's ribs trying to hump him, wah, Miguel Ferrar is doing the "Shady Boss" thing again- who's side is he really on? Ah, I just don't give a crap- its a typical superhero show loaded up with uber-angst, and even Katie Sackahoff's always welcome presence isn't doing anything for me. "You'll have to do better than that!" Indeed. Trite, cliched comic book moments in an oversaturated medium of them.

Reaper- So... Brimstone the ass kicker of all ass kicking supernatural bounty hunter shows couldn't make it, but throw in some silliness and slacker friends giving a hand and we have a hit? Mmmm... neh. Didn't hate it, didn't see a reason I needed to tune in again, and since when can people sell your soul for you? Wise's devil is pretty standard fare also- nothing innovative about the portrayal - same old buddy-demon who can get real mean if you fuck up, but thinks he's witty and charming otherwise "oh, I'm not that bad once you get to know me..." Ok. So now that I know you, I think I preferred you "bad".

Revisited:

Heroes- now this is how you do re-hashed comic stuff- the time travelling with its forseeable results, the old Amnesia gag, the silent hunter picking off people, and of course, the only misstep in all of them, the mysterious "Virus" subplot (which, if I recall, was an X-men gimmick that came right around the time I dropped those books). Yeah, I've seen it all before but good performances from everyone involved save the day, Hiro is still the most watchable thing going for that show (George Takei, giving some sterling work, was sneaking up on that title, but evidently won't see him no more). I'm stickin' though the seams are starting to show here and there.

Grey's Anatomy- Still watchable- some good lines, Meredith still the least interesting character, George still the best in his disasterous choices and weakness. But I found myself doing other things here and there where i didn't need an eye on the tv- never a good sign.

Boston Legal- new blood is good, and they must be putting something in the transmissions- I'm content to watch this until all the characters die, rot and then I'll watch them decompose. Last episode ran a bit dull however, but its those moments when I think there's some slowdown that end up surprising me when they invariably come back with a winner the week after as I'm hoping they will. But the damn show just makes me happy. I don't get it. Denny Crane. Oh, and was it Peter or David - Bergen is not rehashing Murphy Brown- she's not as energetic, vengeful, or even political- the straight man to everyone else's antics- but she makes it work.

That's all I can think of for now, but I can always edit with supplements. Everyone else?_________________I am L. Pete Morton.

the 'euphraserism' [=euphemism+phrase]: "pushing up the daisies" is an honorary element of my (unspoken/muttered) diction, but do you think that the general public is familiar with the 'proper' phraseology?

ffor sakes! [=for f^ck sakes!]

so, calling the show 'pushing daisies' is doing nothing to assist the heretofore unknowing numpties in learning this cute euphemism. alternatively, they could have called it 'counting daisies' instead which would have been less misleading.